SEO and COVID

People are looking to support local businesses now more than ever.  Can people find yours?

​As we slowly return to normal in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of businesses are suffering now due to what they have been put through over the last couple years.

No matter your feelings on the government response to the pandemic, you must deal with the reality of what is imposed on you.  Some businesses were very successful in pivoting and adjusting to a new normal while others struggled.  Unfortunately, some were forced to close. One common truth through this whole ordeal is that it is difficult for everyone.

It is not possible to just sit back and hope for success at the best of times. Doing that now would be catastrophic.

So what can you do?

More and more people are looking for online solutions.  But in order for you to benefit from that, people need to be able to find you online.  That is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in.

SEO is the practice of optimizing your site to gain higher search engine ranking in order to drive quality organic traffic to your website.  It isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ proposition. If you sit back and hope for the best, I can guarantee you one of your local competitors is not standing still. Before you know it, they will get the clicks and you won’t.

Because everyone can identify with the struggle that the pandemic has brought, more people are looking to support local businesses.  These are our friends, neighbours and local business owners, such as yourself.  Regardless of what kind of business you have, people want to support you.  It is essential to make it easy to find you and even easier to interact with you.

SEO is a long-term plan, with long-term benefits.  Long after the pandemic is over (and it will be over eventually), the work you put in now will be paying off.  Even if you’ve had to temporarily close your business, you can and should set yourself up for success going forward.

Here are some things you should be focusing on as part of your Covid-19 SEO strategy:

• Write informative, impactful and engaging content to post.  There is never a bad time to publish this type of content, and it really is the backbone of any SEO strategy.  When it comes to Search Engine Optimization, CONTENT IS KING.
• Don’t be afraid to talk about what your business is doing during the pandemic, and what you plan for the future.  People are interested in these stories.
• Ensure your Google My Business listing is up to date.  Don’t have one….make one.
• Work on creating backlinks to your site.  If content is the backbone, backlinks are the nervous system.  They work together to drive your results.  Quality engaging content WILL get posted elsewhere. 
• Get covered by local media in an article or promotional spot  that will not only generate an interest in your business, it will also result in more backlinks.  As an example, I ordered some sausage rolls from Salty General Store after seeing them on CH Morning Live.  All done online and delivered right to my door.  
• If you’ve written something before that performed well, update it.  People were interested in it the first time, a fresh look on it, or an update, will spark interest again.

People are spent more time online during the pandemic than ever before and that hasn't changed much as things have reopened.  That is making them more savvy at searching and more used to looking online to find out information. 

You can set yourself up for success later by taking steps now.  True gains in SEO work will not be seen for 3-6 months, if not longer, so if you want to be at the forefront, you needed to start back then.  But it’s never too late to start to get there in the future.  Not only will you benefit during the pandemic, you will reap the benefits long after things are back to normal.

Travel restrictions and lockdowns are keeping people closer to home.  This means they are looking to find nearby businesses.  Help them find you.

​If you want more information, or to discuss packages to help you with your SEO, please reach out.